Ventura County Biographies
John R. Myers
Submitted by Sandy Neder
This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm
John R. Myers came to Ventura, in 1874, directly from his native State, Iowa. He
was born in Clayton County, July 1, 1846. His father, Jacob K. Myers, is a
native of Beverly, Randolph County, Virginia, born in 1824. His grandfather,
John Myers, was also a Virginian. They were of German descent. His mother,
Elizabeth (Wood) Myers, was born in North Island, Vermont, a daughter of
Nathaniel Wood, of that State. Their ancestors, on the paternal side, were
English, and on the maternal side, Irish. Mr. Myers was the oldest of three
children. He was reared on a farm and educated as other farmer boys, learning to
work and getting his book education between times. This fitted him for the life
of a farmer which he has since followed. When he was nineteen years old he
bought a colt, which was the first property he ever owned. At that time he began
to do for himself. When twenty-two years of age, he bought eighty acres of land
in western Iowa. On this property he built and made improvements and, after
farming it eight years, sold it to come to Ventura, California. His first
purchase here was ten acres of land. He improved it and lived on it seven years,
then sold, and in July, 1882, bought his present fine property of twenty-three
acres, on Ventura avenue, the best street in the city. He has planted the
property to English walnuts, apricots, apples and other varieties of fruit.
Between the younger trees, as his groves were growing, he has raised large crops
of Lima beans, which have proved very remunerative.
In 1869 he was united in marriage to Miss Elena Dodge, a native of Oswego,
New York, daughter of Mr. Samuel Dodge, a farmer of that locality. Their
ancestors were English. This union has been blessed with three children, a
daughter and two sons: Verner D. and Mary E., born in Monona County, Iowa, and
Frank S., born in Ventura. The eldest died in his fourth year. Mr. and Mrs.
Myers are both members of the Methodist Church, and, in politics, he is a
Republican. They are enjoying life in their beautiful California home, engaged
in the general employments attending fruit culture.
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTIES OF SANTA BARBARA, SAN LUIS
OBISPO, AND VENTURA, CALIF. by Ida Addis Storke, 1891, p 402